A-ROSA’s Christmas Markets River Cruises

Christmastime is coming, and for river cruisers, that means that the cozy and intimate river journeys through Europe’s historic Christmas Markets are close at hand. This year, A-ROSA is pulling out all the stops for its Holiday sailings, creating itineraries that are sure to suit every need and budget.

If you don’t have a lot of time to spare, A-ROSA has the answer. As a counterpoint to the standard weeklong voyages that have typically defined Christmas Market river cruising, the line has crafted a series of shorter, four-night Christmas Markets voyages along the Danube and the Rhine this year. And if you missed the boat for booking your Christmas Markets cruise, it’s not too early to start planning for next year.

Sailing aboard A-ROSA DONNA, A-ROSA FLORA and A-ROSA VIVA, these short getaway voyages are great for locals and tourists alike. On the Danube, A-ROSA DONNA conveniently sails roundtrip from Passau, Germany. She then arrives in Vienna, where a two-day stay allows guests to sample the historic city’s numerous Christmas Markets, museums and other sights. The final day of the cruise is spent in the Austrian city of Linz, which comes alive during winter with its spectacular lights display and historic Christmas Market in the heart of the old city. Of course, not all is old; guests can take in the future by strolling across the Danube to the brightly-lit, ever-changing Ars Electronica Center.

Cruising the German Christmas Markets along the Rhine River on A-ROSA Silva. @ 2013 Ralph Grizzle

On the Rhine A-ROSA FLORA and A-ROSA VIVA do double-duty in offering cruisers a unique itinerary sailing roundtrip from the German city of Cologne. Departing Cologne, A-ROSA’s ships sail first to Mainz, where Johannes Gutenberg – the inventor of the first moveable-type printing press – set up shop in 1450. Next, a full-day visit to Strasbourg, France allows guests to sample the beautiful Christmas markets of this striking French city, with its Alsace-influenced cuisine and local vin chaud mulled wine.

For those who want to celebrate the New Year aboard an A-ROSA ship, A-ROSA DONNA sails roundtrip from Passau on 27 December 2015 on a weeklong voyage, ringing in the New Year in the gorgeous city of Vienna. Other ports of call include the Wachau Valley, Budapest, Hungary; Bratislava, Slovakia; Durnstein, Austria, and Linz, Austria.

On the Rhine, you can celebrate New Years aboard A-ROSA VIVA or A-ROSA FLORA as they sail from Cologne to celebrate the first hours of 2016 in the vibrant Dutch city of Amsterdam. These sailings also depart on 27 December 2015. Additional ports of call include Antwerp, Belgium; and Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. Although these New Year’s voyages occur too late to experience the Christmas Markets that typically shutter on Christmas Eve, they still offer plenty of historical charm during the festive Holiday season.

No matter if you have a week or just a few days, A-ROSA wants to help you to celebrate the arrival of winter properly.

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